Just a Picture Update

In creating this blog, I thought it would be a wonderful way for me to keep all of our friends and family all over the place caught up with what Avery is doing and how our family is coming along.  However, sometimes I don't really have much to say so I thought that maybe a blog update of just a bunch of pictures would be enough for everyone.  If anyone objects, please feel free to let me know and I can try to write a bit more next time!  :)  Avery is doing great!  She is 8 weeks old today!  She is smiling a ton and not just because of gas, as my father would attribute it to.  She definitely knows who her mom and dad are and loves seeing us.  I love getting her out of her crib in the morning and watching her smile, coo and start kicking her legs and moving her arms!  Enjoy the pictures!

Love from Bloomington!


Avery hanging out in the cradle her great grandpa made! :)





















Some of her funny faces...

With Auntie Beth

In her pretty dress from Abby and her new hat from Auntie Beth and Auntie Sheryl

Hanging out on her quilt that mommy's friend Miss Bressan made for her.  I wish I was this talented!

Meeting up with grandma and great grandma at Starved Rock for the afternoon.

With my best friend Clara

Then sister Ava wanted to join in.  Sorry about the hair pulling!

With mommy on her 30th birthday this week!

















Miss Avery got to meet her Uncle David and Aunt Dorota this past weekend when they were in from D.C!  It was so nice to see them and we can't wait for us to see them again!

Avery also got to meet cousin Amy and her second cousin (?) Camden!  I think Amy liked her a little bit!

Mommy's friend Abby had a baby two weeks ago and I know that Addison and Avery will grow to be life long friends!  This is our first meeting...
















Finally, my new favorite thing to do is play on my play mat that my friend Waylon set up for me.  However, I was so tired tonight that when I fell asleep, I looked like I was doing the Thriller dance!

Quick update

Hello!  I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on Miss Avery.  Avery is 6 weeks old now and is really beginning to interact with us.  Since switching to the formula, she is happier and spends far more time hanging out contently than crying.  Mommy and daddy sure do love this!  We weighed her yesterday and she has reached 9 pounds...still smaller than cousin Lucas when he was born, but we are growing. Within the last week, she has begun cooing at anything she is looking at- Dave or I, the lights, the fan, etc. and has begun smiling which makes my heart melt every time!

I went back and looked at her pictures from the day she was born and it seems like just yesterday.  As most of you know Avery was born with the use of forceps and her head was very misshapen at birth.  We have not shared this picture with many people, but finally have made peace with it.  Especially now that she is very cute!

Love from Bloomington!

Here she is yesterday...with a mischievous little smile!

Weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's

This past weekend we bravely decided to drive the 2+ hours to the suburbs to introduce Avery to my dad's side of the family.  Thankfully it looks like we have an excellent traveler on our hands.  She made it until about 10 minutes from Great Grandma's house before waking up and crying.  On Saturday, all of my aunts and uncles, some cousins, some second cousins and a great aunt all spent the afternoon and evening getting to know the latest addition to our Carrion family.  Avery took to all the company really well, but when there are people just waiting to hold and rock you all night, I probably would have too.  Sunday was spent at my mom and dad's house, of course introducing Avery to the Chicago Bears- thank goodness for a win!  Grandma and Grandpa loved snuggling with her...especially on Grandparents Day!

Avery is still doing great.  We unfortunately had to make the jump to all soy formula.  Nursing just doesn't seem to want to work anymore, which is a bit of a bummer for me.  However, Avery seems much happier, calmer and is able to sleep much better!  Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come!  As we speak she is laying on a blanket next to me, "talking" to me and is smiling every once in awhile.  I am very excited about how this seems to be going!  Enjoy the pictures from the weekend!  Love from Bloomington!


Of course Great Grandma would make a sign!

With Auntie Susie- I love Lucas' face in the background!!

With Great Grandma

Grandpa

Auntie Debbie

Aunt Les and Uncle Skip

Of course Lucas wanted to hold her!  :)

4 Generations- boy I looked tired!!  :(

Great Auntie Do

Auntie Robyn

Being silly...

Lucas and his buddy!!

Just hanging out!

Happy One Month Birthday!

We cannot believe we made it an entire month!  It seems like just yesterday Dave and I were guessing what Avery's hair color would be, if there would be any hair, how big she would be and if she would look like her mommy or her daddy...(we know who won that battle!)  Our lives have completely changed since Avery joined our family.  Here are some things that have happened...

Avery hated bath time during her first couple weeks, now she actually enjoys it and seems more mad once I take her out of the bath.  Thank goodness for this!

Avery has also begun sleeping for long stretches at a time at night.  Now by long, I mean four hours at a time, but any parent knows that this is awesome!

She is still eating frequently and has her fussy times at night.  We know that when 8:00 hits, that we need to be ready.  We had to take Avery in to see her doctor last week for some concerns and it turns out the poor little girl has acid reflux and is on baby Zantac.  After a week of that, we immediately could see a change.  Not that we love giving our 1 month old medicine, but she doesn't seem so uncomfortable.  However, as of this morning, she now weighs in at 8lbs 4oz!  Hopefully we can get her in some of her 0-3 month clothes now!

Here are just a few other pictures of our little girl from the last couple days.  Love to you all from Bloomington!


She slept away her entire birthday!

Obviously she was a bit hungry....

Being silly!!

Where Have the Weeks Gone?

We have made it three entire weeks at home with Avery!  It is hard to believe that on Sunday she will be a month old.  Looking back at our first couple nights home, we never thought it would get any easier, but it has.  We just need to keep telling ourselves that when we are up at 1am, 3am and 5am.  Avery has already changed a lot since she was first born and we love every minute we have with her.  She smiles a lot in our direction, but I think she is actually smiling at us!

Last week was a busy week for Miss Avery.  She visited daddy's work, mommy's new school and her old school and had pictures taken.  Her newborn photo session didn't work out as planned though.  The photographer loves to have her newborns nice and sleepy so she can position them as she would like.  However, even after 3 hours of rocking, feeding and keeping her nice and warm, Avery wanted to be awake the entire time!  We went back a couple days later for another hour and a half and finally got some incredible pictures!  We are so excited with how they turned out and can't wait to see the rest.  Avery will be getting 3, 6, 9 and 12 month pictures done with Bridget. Be sure to leave a comment on the page below and let us know what you think!



http://imaginatephotography.com/blog/2010/08/29/newborn-baby-a-illinois-newborn-portrait-photographer/#idc-container



Enjoy the pictures!







With Jaelyn- who will eventually be her baby sitter!

One Week Old...

I know that many parents out there will understand what I am saying, but I am shocked that she is a week old already!  On one hand it seems like she has been here for much longer, but on the other it feels like yesterday that she was still wrapped up in my belly.  It has been a challenging week home with mom and dad.  Avery has her days and nights confused so she usually takes pretty good naps during the day after her feedings, but at night wants no part of sleep.  We are trying to keep her active and awake during the day hoping that will help at night, but she just wants to sit up and stare from midnight until 6am!  Hopefully this gets worked out soon!  Avery is a fantastic eater and an all around great baby.  She doesn't cry unless she needs to eat or be changed or it is 2am and I am trying to put her down.

We had our first doctor's appointment this past Monday where she had lost some weight and was measuring in at 5lbs 15oz.  The doctor had us come back on Thursday for a weight check and she was back up to 6lbs 5oz!  The girl likes to eat!  We will be going in this week for our two week checkup and hope that she will continue to gain.

We have also had a lot of visitors since bringing Avery home...

Uncle Ralph, Aunt Robyn and cousin Lucas

Grandma Glacinski

Grandpa Glacinski, Dad and Avery- 3 generations...

Even the great grandmas came down for the day to meet Avery!

Grandpa Carrion

Mom's friend Jenny

and her best friend Clara!  It looks like she has some growing to do!!

We have also taken Avery outside a couple of times- of course dressed for the summer sun:

Perhaps one of my favorite moments so far has been watching Lucas with Avery.  He loves her so very much and this short video shows that!

We will continue working on figuring each other out, but for the time being we cannot stop looking at her and just loving her.  It truly has been a life changing event!  I just can't believe she is really here!  

Thanks for all the cards, gifts, phone calls and meals.  We really appreciate it all!  If you have called me, I will get back to you- and if anyone would like to chat at 3am, let me know...I am awake then!!

Love you all!